Wearing element for crossheads



Jan. 31, 1928. 1,658,019

J. T. LUscoMBE ET AL WEARING ELEMENT FOR CROSSHADS Filed See-2%. 24. 1926Lf 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan.'31, 1928.

J. T. LUscoMBE ET AL wEARmG ELEMENT Fon cnossHEAns Filed sept. 24. 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES@ PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. LUSCOMBE, OF LA. GRANGE, AND THOMAS' "WINDLE, OF DECATUR, ILLINQIS;

SAID WINLDLE ASSIGNDR T SAID LUSCOIVIBE.

WERING'ELEMENT FOR CROSSHEADS.

` Application filed September 24, 1926. Serial No. 137,418.

There is `comparatively rapid wear of those surfaces of a locomotive cross head engaged with the guides and therefore frequent compensation for `wear must be made.

It was long ago suggested to provide cross heads with adjustable wearing mem-` bers movable outwardly, as wear` occurs, by meansof cooperating inclined surfaces; but this expedient` has never been found practicable. `Thus ithas been suggested to em ploy long wedge elements left "free at one end so thata whipping actiontakes place that breaks themat the ends where they are laid rigid, making such a construction valueless.` Again, in substantially all. constructions employing a wedging action such stresses have been imposed onthe studs or bolts that hold the wedge elements, as to cause these studs or bolts to break and, in

any event, to loosen suflicientlyfto allow the wedge elements Vto become loose. Because of the difliculty of compensating for wear by adjusting the wearing faces on the cross heads, the usual practice has been to` adjust the guides toward each other as wear takes place, the adjustment of the guides being a matter that requires great care in order to maintain the proper j alignment.` Even where `this enpedientof adjusting the guides is eml ployed, the cross head wears away in time,

so that replacement is necessary; and there "fore cross heads are commonly made with a `permanent center and detachable shoes, so that `only the shoes need be replaced after a predetermined amount of wear. TheseA removable shoes must be made large and heavy and theexpense `ofreplacing them is therefore great. j j

The object ofthe present invention `is to` provide means for effectively compensating for Wear onthe guiding surfaces` of a cross head, `Without requiring the replacement of any heavy or expensive parts, without necessitating the disturbance of the guides, and without the useof fastenings or other parts that are subjected tostresses that willloosen them orcause. them to brealr in service.

. In carryingout our invention we employ Wearing slippers that are fitted into the 1,50 grooves of a cross head and have flanges resting against `wide bearing ,seats arranged in planes at right anglesto the guides; `these flanges being adjustably clamped against these bearing faces so as to permitthe slippersto be moved from and toward the guides. Initially, the slippers may bottom in the grooves and, as wear takes place, the slippers may be loosened and, after one or more liners or shims have been placed under each shoe, they may again be clamped solid ly in place. `Liners ork shims may be added from time `to time `until the slippers have become worn `toy such an extent that' they should be replaced. The slippers are preferablyfanchored by means of studs that lie parallel with the guides, that `is with the direction `of movement of the cross head, so that the only stresses that come on the `studsl are tension stresses and these will not be of any` considerable magnitude because they need only overcome frictional resistance of the` slippers to movement along the guides. These' studs pass through slots elongated iu a direction at right angles to the guides, so that the flanges on the slippers always are in intimatecontact with the bearing faces or seats therefor on thev end or ends of the cross head. The present invention is applicable to that style of cross head having the detachable shoes. rlhese shoes, which are made of a special high grade cast iron, may be replaced with lighter shoes of cast steel which need have only structural strength and not bearing qualities. After a cross head has once been equipped with these steel shoes, no further replacement except of the slippers'is required. Furthermore, the cast iron shoes may be utilized by welding thereto lugs to serve as the abutments against which the flanges on `the slippers are clamped. In original equipment, the cross heads may be madein a single piece, without removable shoes and, becauseof the absence of machine work and fastenings for detachable shoes, the cross heads will be materially cheaper than the ordinary type, and they may, of course, be made considerably lighter.

The various features of novelty whereby our invention is characterized `will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a `full `understanding of our invention, and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to `the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cross head, i

of the detachable shoe type, equipped with Wearing means arranged in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an end view of the cross head, looking at the right hand Vand the bottom.

end of Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the head shown in Figs. l and 2; Fig. l is a section taken on line ll-Ll ot Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a perspective vien' et one-halt of one ol' the two-part wearing slipper-s; Fig. G is a side vievv of the upper halt of a cross head made in one piece and having a somewhat ditl'erent form ot slipper applied thereto; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of cross head shown in Fig. 6; 8 is a section taken approximately on line 8MS of Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the slipper employed in Figs. 5 to 8, together with the locking plate for the ifree end o'l' the slipper.

Referring to Figures l to 5 or" the dravvings, l represents a cross head which, shown, has detachable shoes 2, 2 at the top Each shoe has a Wide peripheral groove 3 extendingV troni end to end. llt a short distance iroin each end ot each shoe, inwardly from the bottom of the groove, is a lug` l having a Hat outer face arranged at right angles to the long axis ot the'groove. llllithin the groove lies a channel-shaped slipper of suitable bearing material, formed in tivo parts, 5 and 6. The members 5 and G are arranged end to end, meeting midway between the ends of the groove. Each of the members 5 and 6 is provided at its outer end vvith a depending lpart which, tor convenience, ive shall term a flange. rlhe ilangesare accurately machined on their inner faces so that they will rest flat against the flat outer Vbearing 'faces or seats on the lugs 4l. Each flange has at least onel and preferably tivo slots 8 cut through the same and arranged at right angles to the plane ot the bottom ot the trough in the slipper. Bolts 9 pass through the lugs 4 and the slots in the flanges of the slippers. By applying nuts l0 to the outer ends ot' the bolts, the flanges are clamped solidly against the lugs. Initially the parts are so proportioned that the slippers lit into the grooves in the cross head, resting on the bottoms of the latter. By making the slipper in two parts, each half is comparatively short, so that its tree end can never Whip about sumciently to endangerI its integrity at the juncture ot the same With the holding flange. p

When the cross head is in use, the only stresses that come on the bolts are the slight tension stresses necessary to oppose the resistance to movement of the slipper by reason ot the friction between the same and the corresponding guide. Therefore there is no danger that the bolts Will break or bend or "that the nuts will Work loose. -When Wear has taken place, the bolts are loosened, one

ol the halves ot each slipper being completely removed, and a suitable liner or filler 1l is placed in the bottom of the groove.

The part of the slipper that was removed is then replaced and the nuts `on the bolts are :entspre tightened, the conditions being new precisely as they were initially, except that the slippers rest somewhat higher up in the grooves. However, it Will be seen that the flanges on the slippers are still4 in intimate contact with the bearing :taees or seats on the lugs, so that the tastenings tor the slipper are precisely the same as they were initially. ln other words, there is liever any exposed length of a stud or bolt between `the head and the nuls, and the slipper' is never supported simply from a stud or a bolt so that the latter serves as a iulcruin, but it is always clamped solidly against a Wide bearii'ig :lace

r seat on the cross head.

ln Figures 6 to 9, we have shown the slipper, in another torni, applied to a solid cross head. Referring to these ligures, 15 represents a cross head oit any usual or suitable construction having peripheral grooves lli sin'iilar to grooves 3 and lugs l? corresponding to the lugs le The slipper 18, in this arrangement, is almost as long as the cross head, having at one end a liange 19 to bear against the lug li' at one end of the head. Secured to the lug at the opposed end ot the head is a locking plate 2O having therein elongated slots 2l similar to the slots 22 in tl e tlange l5) and the slots S in the slipper as shoivn in Figures l to 'lfhe plate 2O is deep enough that it may project into the groove in the periphery oi the cross head and engage with the free end of the slipper. The tree end of the slipper and the adjacent marginal portion ot the plate 2O are preferably so formed that the slipper and the plate vvill interlock and prevent the tree end of the slipper lroni rising. In the arrangement shevvn, the extreme edge ol the bottom or web ot the slipper is beveled, as indicated at- 23, and the plate .20 is provided with a beveled projection 24 along` the inner side near the upper edge. llllhen the parts are assembled, one end ot the slipper is firmly anchored by means of its thinge, while the overhanging upper end of the locking plate 2O is drawn tightly against the tree end of the bottom or Web ot the slipper. llllhen Wear takes place, the locking plate 20 is de tached, the nuts holding the ilange 19 are loosened, and one or more liners or shims 25 are inserted underneath the slipper. The nuts holding the flange in place are then screwed tight and the locking plate secured in position; the locking plate being adjustable so as to 'follow the slipper as the latter is moved to a raised or lowered position in the groove in the cross head. The purpose of the locking plate is to hold the tree end of the slipper down so as to avoid any pos- Sibility oi a Whipping action ol' the coinparatively long slipper.

The advantages of' the construction shown in Figures 5 to 9 are the same, generally speaking, as those heretofore pointed out loll in connection with the other form. If the locking plate be omitted, the construction will be somewhat simpler than that shown in Figures l to 5, because the slipper will then consist of a single piece and there will be only two holding bolts instead of four. Ordinarily, however, the loclring plate 20 will be found useful, as insuring against any possibility of objectionable whipping on the part of the long slipper.

While we have illustrated and described with particularity only two preferred forins of our invention, as applied to a well known type of cross head with detachable shoes, and to a solid cross head, we do not desire to be limited to the particular details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements within the definitions of our invention constituting the appended claims.

1We claim:

l. A cross head having an openeended peripheral groove and a transverse seat inwardly of one end of said groove, the bottom of the groove being parallel with the long axis of the head, a wearing slipper arranged in said groove and having a flange engaged with said seat,rand lneans for adjustably clamping said flange against said seat to ,hold the slipper at various elevations in the groove.

2. AL cross head having an open-ended peripheral Igroove and a transverse seat inwardly of one end of said groove, the bottom of the groove being parallel with the long axis of the head, a wearing slipper in said groove having a ange engaged with said seat, said flange containing a slot elongated in a direction transverse to the plane of the slipper and a bolt passing through said slot into the cross head.

3. A cross head having a peripheral open` ended groove with parallel side walls anda seat inwardly of one end of the groove and at right angles to the long axis of the groove, the bottom of the groove being parallel with the long axis of the head, a slipper fitting in said groove and having a flange fitting against said seat, and means for clamping said frange to said seat in various positions corresponding to different elevations of the slipper in the groove.

Li. A cross head having a peripheral openended groove with parallel side walls and a seat inwardly of one end of the groove and at right angles to the long axis of the groove, a slipper fitting into said groove and having a flange engaged with said seat, said flange containing a plurality of parallel slots elongated in directions parallel with the side walls of the slots, studs projecting from said seat through said slots, and nuts on said studs to clainp the flange against the seat.

5. il cross head having a peripheral openended groove and transverse seats inwardly of the ends of the groove, a wearing slipper fitting into said groove, said slipper being inade in two parts nieeting inidway between the ends of the grooves, said slipper' having at cach end a flange engaged with the corresponding seat on the cross head, and means for adjustably clamping said anges to said seats to permit the .shoe to be raised and lowered in the groove.

ln testimony whereof, we sign this specification.

JUHN T. LUSCMBE. i THOMAS WINDLE. 

